Alief ISD assistant AD saw plenty during 3 decades with district

AGING WITH GRACEHeintschel wraps era of changeAlief ISD assistant AD saw plenty during three decades with district

L. SCOTT HAINLINE, Chronicle Correspondent

Published 5:30 am, Thursday, July 8, 2004

He may be retiring, but former Alief ISD assistant athletics director Walter Heintschel isn't just going to disappear.

"I'll stay active," said Heintschel, 63, who completed 39 years — including the last 30 in Alief — this past school year. "I was fortunate enough to have the Alief ISD Relays named in my honor, so hopefully I can go on as meet director at the Walter Heintschel-Alief Relays. I love track and I'll stay involved in it through different meets."

Heintschel served as assistant athletics director the past 11 years under former AISD athletics director LeRoy Crump and current AD Ronnie Bell.

"Those are just two of the great people I was able to work for and with for the better part of the last four decades," Heintschel said of Crump and Bell. "They are both deserving in any and all honors that they receive."

Prior to his term with Alief ISD's athletic administration, Heintschel was principal at Hastings High School for 12 years following a four-year stint as an assistant principal. He started work for Alief ISD in the 1973-74 school year as Hastings' head track coach and varsity football assistant, spending four years in those positions, along with teaching.

"Back then Alief had one Class 2A high school and we played a Highway 6 schedule," Heintschel said. "We played Hitchcock, Santa Fe and Friendswood, all the towns on Highway 6.

"Man, how things have changed, and how things have grown. Now we have some of the biggest high schools in the Houston area."

Heintschel watched as the AISD grew to its current size that includes three high schools — Hastings, Elsik and Alief Taylor.

"I've worked with so many outstanding people from teachers to administrators to coaches to superintendents, just so many," he said. "I really enjoyed working in the athletic department and working with the coaches. They do a really great job and they work so hard. It's been an honor to work with them."

"I was an assistant track and football coach at Sterling, and I learned a lot from then-Sterling head track coach Bill Tunrey," Heintschel said. "Coach Tunrey was a very, very good track coach, and he eventually retired from Sterling after being there a pretty long time."

Heintschel created the Alief Relays in 1973 and the annual meet was recognized in his name for the first time last March.

"I just can't describe how honored I feel about that," he said. "I want to stay involved and help make it one of Houston's best meets for years to come."

Right now, Heintschel and his wife, Sharon, are keeping busy moving from their Quail Valley residence of the last 27 years into a new home in the Richmond area.

"We raised two daughters (Pam and Kim) in this home, and now we're moving and packing and finding things from 20 and 25 years ago," Heintschel said. "Some of the items are about kids that I've been fortunate enough to coach, and you just can't throw away things like that."

And almost as possible to rank them.

"There have been so many great athletes, it would be impossible to pick out the best, or even a top 10," he said.